Best travel credit cards of 2018
Taking your ordinary credit card overseas is an easy way to spend money on holiday, but it comes at a price. Most card issuers slap on a non-sterling transaction fee of 2.95%, costing you £2.95 for every £100 you spend. They also charge 3% on foreign currency cash withdrawals, often with a flat £3 fee on top. So plan ahead and pack one of these three, which we rate among the best travel credit card deals on the market today. They waive all overseas usage charges on purchases, and in some cases on cash withdrawals as well. Make your holiday money travel that much further.
Halifax Clarity Credit Card
Good for: No-fee foreign cash and spending
One of the best credit card deals for travellers, the long-established Halifax Clarity Credit Crd has no extra charges on purchases and cash withdrawals anywhere in the world (although you do pay interest on cash withdrawals from day one, as on all cards). Halifax reckons users save around £3 when spending EUR100 compared to standard bank cards, and £5.50 on cash withdrawals. Happy holidays!
0% introductory offers | None |
Charges on overseas spending | Zero |
Charges on overseas cash withdrawals | Zero |
Representative APR | 18.95%, subject to status |
Credit requirement | Good |
Benefits | Zero non-sterling charges on either purchases or cash withdrawals anywhere in the world (interest charged on cash withdrawals) |
Creation Everyday Credit Card
Good for: Travel card with no overseas charges and low APR
This is simply one of the best travel credit card offerings, with no overseas charges on either purchases or cash withdrawals, so you can use your card abroad just as you do at home. Creation Everyday is also one of the simplest credit card deals of all because it charges a low APR of just 12.9% on all your purchases, balance transfers and cash advances. That merits our rating as one of the best credit card deals around today, home or away.
0% introductory offers | None |
Charges on overseas spending | Zero |
Charges on overseas cash withdrawals | Zero |
Representative APR | 12.9%, subject to status |
Credit requirement | Good |
Benefits | No foreign usage charges anywhere in the world on either purchases or cash withdrawals. You pay interest on cash withdrawals but at the same low representative APR of 12.9% |
Post Office Platinum Card
Good for: Free foreign usage plus one of the more generous 0% credit cards
The Post Office Platinum Card is one of the best travel credit card deals around. It waives foreign transaction charges on your overseas spending, and also gives you the benefits of an interest-free credit card. One of the more generous 0% purchase credit cards, you pay zero interest for the first 28 months. You also get a 0% balance transfer credit card benefits for 18 months. You do pay a 2.5% fee on overseas cash withdrawals, charged at a higher APR of 27.9%. However, withdrawing cash on a credit card is never wise, because you start racking up interest charges from the first day.
0% introductory offers | 0% interest on spending for first 28 months, 0% on balance transfers for 18 months (2.89% fee) |
Charges on overseas spending | Zero |
Charges on overseas cash withdrawals | 2.50% fee, minimum charge £3 |
Representative APR | 18.9%, subject to status |
Credit requirement | Good |
Benefits | Combines 0% introductory rate both on purchases and balance transfers, with no foreign usage charges anywhere in the world on purchases. Just avoid making cash withdrawals |
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